


The conspiracy

by SketchLockwood



Category: 15th Century CE RPF, Historical RPF
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-04
Updated: 2019-11-04
Packaged: 2021-01-23 04:08:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21313924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SketchLockwood/pseuds/SketchLockwood
Comments: 2
Kudos: 2





	The conspiracy

London  
February 1477

John de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk sat looking at the man who was opposite, head in hands. “You know?” John uttered. “I say fuck him.” 

“Is rather not.” The man spoke. “Besides, I think he has enough people to be doing that.” 

Suffolk let his head roll back as he laughed. 

“Right you are. He does and lord alone knows why.”

“Because he is king.” His companion spat with only a dash of envy. 

“Ah it might be other things.” John wiggled his eyebrows, roaring with laughter as his guest launched his empty cup at him. 

“This isn’t helping.”

“Your right, I’m sorry George.” 

“He treats me like shit. Like absolute shit.” George of Clarence frowned, chin in his hands whilst his elbows rested on the table. 

“He treats us all that way.” Suffolk shrugged. “Except his favourites. Take Eliza for example, she can do no wrong but despite the fact she is my wife he hates me. I can barely speak around him before he is on my case.” 

“Yes, then there is that bastard Hastings. He is poisoning Ned against me and always has.” Suffolk was silent then. He did not like William Hastings, found a man hard to greet with fondness and a man totally unsuitable to guide a king. That said, even he was not convinced Ned’s mind needed influencing to be poisoned against George. 

John had patience for Clarence, almost limitless. He like John had been pushed aside too many years, yet unlike John, Clarence had acted upon his hatred for the King and Queen. That had been most unwise. As such, even now when Clarence could be seen to be behaving himself, publicly at least, Ned’s paranoia about George could not be stopped.

That was why George had been watched like a hawk these last few years and that was why in France he had barely been allowed breathing room. 

France, the catastrophe which John had not taken part in. The catastrophic event which he had not been allowed to act in. His left side throbbed as he thought of his last battle. A battle too many years ago which had almost cost him his life and had cost him much of his movement in his left hand and a limp from his left side. 

Something Ned liked to comment on when John did anything to irk him. 

Fuck him, John thought.

“With respect George, I do not think Hastings has much to do with this. You can hate the man for all I care, but what has he done?”

“I heard him. He does not trust me.”

“I think Ned planted that in Will Hastings mind if I’m honest.” 

“He was involved you know?”

“Involved?” John arched an eyebrow. 

“With the witch.”

“Elizabeth?”

“Yes.” George sat upright now. 

“How so.”

“The three of them. Hastings and Ned and the witch. They set out to poison my wife. They’ll get away with it.”

“Whoa! George. Watch what you’re saying.”

“It’s right and I don’t care who hears.”

This had escalated quickly. Of course John had known that George had been left a widower since December. Had known he had sent a woman to death for it. Yet to accuse Edward? Even to accuse Hastings? This was dangerous territory. 

***

Eliza smiled as he brushed her hair. She sat on the stool before him. He kissed the top of her head. “You are beautiful.” Suffolk uttered. 

“And you want something.”

“Only to tell you your brother visited me today.”

“Which brother, in case you hadn’t noticed I have too many? Each one as painful to me as the next.”

“George.”

“And how is he?”

“He’s a very angry man.”

“About anything in particular? He’s in a terrible situation.”

“Isabel.”

“Oh.” She frowned. “And what did he say?”

“He accuses many people for her death including the queen.” 

“He wrote to me about this. I burnt the letters and ignored him.” 

“He gives good evidence. Ankerette Twynyho, her family are close to the Queen and particular favourites. Ankerette is a servant in George’s own household, was a lady in waiting to Isabel and-“

“and it sounds like you sympathise with him.”

“I do. Of course I do the man just lost his wife.”

“And I have sympathy for that, John, but Ned already watches us like a hawk. We cannot must not be seen to be agreeing with George on this.”

“I won’t get involved.”

“You won’t speak another word of it.”


End file.
